Zach Petersen
Zach Petersen DE Iowa State | NFL Draft 2022 Souting Report - Portrait Image
Zach Petersen
Height
6-5
Weight
275
College
Iowa State
Position
DE/EDGE
Class
Senior
Home town
Long Grove, IA
29.0
Player Rating
81
PositionRank (DL)
4.89
FortyYD Time
Sacks
.5
Fumbles Forced
Tackles
36
Sol tackles
17

Zach Petersen DE/EDGE Iowa State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Zach Petersen DE/EDGE Iowa State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL
Last Updated: 03/25/2023
Draft Year: 2022
40 time: 4.89 seconds (32%*)
Age: 24.6 DOB: 04/22/2000
Measurables:
Height: 6-5 (74%*) Weight: 275 (72%*)
Hands: 10 1/8 (62%*) Arm: 32 3/4 (33%*) Span: 80 (42%*)
Forty: 4.89 (O) (32%*)
0% 100%
(C) - NFL Combine (P) - Pro Day (O) - Other (HS) -Estimated from High School Combine
For an explanation of how the (HS) data is calculated see this article
All Iowa State Draft prospects
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SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL
Last Updated: 03/25/2023
Draft Year: 2022
40 time: 4.89 seconds (32%*)
Age: 24.6 DOB: 04/22/2000
Measurables:
0% 100%
Height: 6-5 (74%*) Weight: 275 (72%*)
Hands: 10 1/8 (62%*) Arm: 32 3/4 (33%*)
Span: 80 (42%*)
Forty: 4.89 (O) (32%*)
(C) - NFL Combine (P) - Pro Day (O) - Other
(HS) -Estimated from High School Combine
For an explanation of how the (HS) data is calculated see this article
All Iowa State Draft prospects
SHARE THIS PROFILE:
Overall Rating: 29.0 / 100
Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced
Offense Rating:
80%
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects.
Tackling:
58%
Pass Rush:
50%
Run Defense:
56%
DRAFT PROJECTION: UDFA
Overall Rank: #678 Position rank: #81
College Games: 43 College Snaps: 1260
Grade: 3 ESPN Stars 3 ESPN Stars ESPN RATING: 74/100
Grade: 3 Stars 3 Stars RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
Draft Profile: Bio
Zach Petersen from North Scott High High School was rated a After high school, Petersen joined Iowa State.

In 2018 as a freshman Petersen saw action in 5 games and played a total of 17 snaps for the Cyclones. He recorded no tackles, no assists, while adding no stops.

As a sophomore for the Cyclones in 2019 Petersen played in 13 games and took part in 527 snaps for the Cyclones. He recorded 26 tackles, 5 assists, while adding 19 stops. As a pass rusher, he chalked up 18 total pressures, and 12 QB hurries, 4 QB hits, and 2 sacks during the year.

In 2020 as a junior Petersen played in 12 games and contributed on 229 snaps. He recorded only 7 tackles, 3 assists while making 7 stops. As a pass rusher, he produced 11 total pressures, which included 8 QB hurries, 2 QB hits, and one sack on the year.

In 2021 as a senior Petersen logged playing time in 13 games and logged a total of 487 snaps for the Cyclones. He also added 30 tackles, 11 assists, and 24 stops. As a pass rusher, he tallied 17 total pressures, which included 14 QB hurries, 2 QB hits, and one sack on the season.
Scouting Report: Strengths
  • Coordinated with smooth movement skills. High-effort rusher and works through the whistle. Relentless worker, fighting off blocks and battling to the ball.
  • Petersen shows impressive burst and enough quickness to occasionally threaten the edge as a pass rusher.
  • He has violent hands and the long arms to ward off blockers. Petersen plays with a good pad level and can win with power as a bull rusher.
  • Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst. Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation.
  • Combines excellent power with initial quickness, but one of his best attributes are his violent hands, which Petersen uses with impressive precision.
  • His motor is excellent, and he’s quick to locate the ball and make plays against the run.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
  • Petersen could stand to be more violent as a tackler in the run game, as Petersen too often allows backs to run through his arm tackles. He also has limited experience dropping into coverage.
  • Petersen doesn’t show much in the way of dynamic change-of-direction ability on counter moves, and he also has a limited repertoire of pass-rushing moves.
  • Not explosive as a pass rusher or run defender. Lacks elite speed and flexibility to turn the corner and is late off the snap.

Zach Petersen percentiles vs other Defensive Ends (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)

How other scouting services rate Zach Petersen (Overall Rank)

All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
556.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
104.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance. For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.

*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.